


Not my Forte

by Angelicasdean



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, Big brother Arthur Morgan, Canon-Typical Violence, Drowning, I Tried, John Marston is a fool, John can't swim, No Slash, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, POV Arthur Morgan, Swimming, arthur to the rescue, takes place in chapter 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 09:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18407828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicasdean/pseuds/Angelicasdean
Summary: Arthur knew he'd regret giving up on teaching John swimming.





	Not my Forte

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to make this whumpy but decided against it.

Arthur knew someday he'd regret giving up on teaching John swimming. He just didn't think it'd be this serious of a situation, their usual fucked up jobs rarely, if not never, end up with them getting swept by the drought of an angry river.

They'd just been trying to rob a stagecoach that had been passing to strawberry, no one told them that'd have a dozen lawmen guarding it. They didn't even get the chance to approach the stagecoach, lawmen firing upon sight. They didn't stick around, both recognizing a risky fight easily. It'd be foolish, firing while so horribly outnumbered without any backup.

John and Arthur had spurred their horses and headed into the trees, bullets whizzing by as John veered left, leaving Arthur to head right towards The Dakota River. Luckily, most of the lawmen had given up on the chase, seeing no bullets flying towards them, but a few still chased them, still fired towards Arthur as he desperately tried to calm his horse, Penny. He knows the risk of getting bucked off is getting steadily higher, he'd only gotten Penny a few weeks before, the horse was still skittish and easily scared.

Thankfully, Arthur had reached the river with the last few lawmen far behind him. He trecked up the river towards where John had been headed, the meeting point that they'd set up if anything had gone wrong.

The rush of the river doesn't help him calm, the rapid and loud roaring of powerful water hitting stone and boulders protruding the river ground. Faintly, he hears gunshots travel over the whipping wind in his ears.

He slows slightly, finger traveling to his pistol as the sound of gunshots gets nearer and nearer. He pulls on Penny's reigns, she snorts in distaste under him but he doesn't pay it attention as John comes into view, Old Boy stomping in panic as it's owner rolls on the ground, struggling between two lawmen.

Quick to respond, Arthur draws his gun and shoots the man pinning John down. Penny whinnies under him, jerking as Arthur tries to calm her down, not getting the chance to speak before she bucks him off and sprints the other way.

With a swear, Arthur collects himself, not failing to notice the shouts echoing through the woods. John is still wrestling the second lawman and Arthur runs to help, kicking the man off and stomping once on his face to knock him out.

"There they are!" a man shouts from behind them and Arthur barely gets to react before John is tackled beside him, just having gotten up. Arthur raises his gun, failing to do so when a gun swims into his view, knocking him backwards.

He blinks against the pain in his nose, dully feeling the blood rush down into his lip before the lawman punches him across the cheek, pointing the gun at Arthur's head. On instinct, having been in this situation many times before, Arthur pushes the gun away, kicking out and catching the man's hip. He staggers back and Arthur takes the chance to stand, scanning the ground for his pistol before quickly darting back to the man who's charging at him.

Arthur blocks him, pushing the man backwards before he gets the chance to knock him, seizing the opportunity to land a punch and grabbing the man by the throat.

The lawman kicks him in the knee, Arthur can feel it twist under him as he falls again, head getting temporarily soaked underwater as the man above him pins him down.

He rolls the around, pressing the man's face into the muddy ground while trying to suffocate him. The man jerks, weakly hitting Arthur in the shoulder before falling limp under him. With a sigh, Arthur wipes his bloody nose and stands wobbly, he turns, expecting John to have finished or at least begun to finish his own fight.

He stands stricken for a moment, spotting John and the last standing lawman attempt to strangle each other while knee deep into the river. Arthur wonders idly if John had been enough of a fool to forget he doesn't know how to swim, rushing forward when the law man successfully pushes John off into deeper water. With a yelp, John starts to struggle to get to his feet. "You fool, Marston," Arthur says to himself, pushing the lawman under the water and kicking him with his good leg. John calls for him as Arthur wades towards him, too slow for his liking as his knee gives every few paces. He dives deeper, letting the river sweep him closer to where John flails.

"Hold on!" Arthur shouts, hoping John had heard him. He swims as fast as he can, pushing himself off of the rocks that had poked through the water.

"Arthur!" John calls, "Help me!"

"I'm coming, just hold on t' something !" Arthur calls back, spitting out the water that had threatened to choke him on his own words. He gets a glimpse of John's head ducking under water before poking up again, managing to get a few seconds above water before John falls under again. _Fool_ , Arthur thinks, _going into a river like that_.

Arthur tries to stretch, now desperate to grasp John as the water becomes harder to navigate through, finding himself failing to stay above water as waves of speedy water crashes against him. He's close, can see the fabric of John's worn black coat floating, just out of reach.

He paddles, giving one kick against a slippery rock and catching the end of John's coat, "Arthur," John splitters as water hits his face.

"I got you," Arthur assures, "Come on, Marston, you goddamn fool," he grits out, pulling John closer as the water threatens to drown them both. John grabs Arthur by the collar of his shirt, accidentally pushing him underwater in his haste. Arthur pushes his hand away, catching him by the wrist and trying to guide them towards the river bank.

John kicks out, trying to get out as Arthur pushes him, one hand clasped firmly around John's coat. Slowly, painstakingly slow, John manages to plant his feet on the muddy ground, Arthur gives him a final push, John stumbling out till he's knee deep again, staggering out of the water.

Arthur tries to follow suit, stretching his legs to drag onto the floor. After two failed attempts, he grabs the nearest rock, steadying himself against it as John sits by the riverbank, looking cold and miserable as he watches Arthur make his way onto land.

Both safely out of the water, Arthur collapses beside John, limbs aching from the strain of pushing against the drought and helping John. "I'm teaching you how to swim," Arthur says, eyes closed as he catches his breath. John huffs beside him.

"I don't think I can disagree," John replies.

"Damn right, you fool," Arthur huffs, shaking against the gust of wind, "You're explaining this to Dutch,"

"It's not my problem I almost drowned!" John groans, shivering in a twin manner, "We should head back,"

"Yeah, we should," Arthur resolves, sitting up, "I'd say this is a job well done," He sighs, rubbing his hands together as he whistles for penny.


End file.
